Take a tour of ‘Austin Castle House’ and make it yours for half a million dollars

‘Austin Castle House’ can be yours for half a million dollars

The Austin Castle House is on the market for $499,900.
Photo by Austin Castle House

The foyer features 40 foot ceilings.
Photo by Austin Castle House

The kitchen is large enough to host a meeting of the Knights of the Round Table.
Photo by Austin Castle House

The master bedroom.
Photo by Austin Castle House

A kitchenette in the party and game room.
Photo by Austin Castle House

The exterior doesn't have a mote, but it does have ponds.
Photo by Austin Castle House

The updated bathroom.
Photo by Austin Castle House

The Castle was built over time with additions and renovations.
Photo by Austin Castle House

The house was originally built in the 1970s.
Photo by Austin Castle House

Your home is your castle, right? Well, it really could be if you snap up a house that’s for sale in Northwest Austin.

The Austin Castle House, as it’s known, is on the market for $499,900. (You can also lease it for $3,500 a month.) But before you get too excited about the prospect of living in a castle, this house doesn’t actually fit the definition of an authentic castle like the kind you’d marvel at in Germany or Scotland.

Built in 1975, the house started as a pretty generic one-story abode. After buying the home in mid-1990s, Steve Miller gradually converted it into a “castle” through additions and remodels. The house now stands out as a quirky anomaly in a suburban-esque neighborhood near the Balcones Country Club.

Who would buy such an unusual home?

“We envisioned someone that had the eccentricity to live in something this unique,” said Kasey Jorgenson, one of two local Realtors marketing the house. “The castle is very functional and served the owner’s family very well. Their children always had friends coming over, and it was always a talking point in local conversations.”

Today, the exterior of the house undoubtedly resembles a medieval castle, complete with gargoyles, two turrets and a moat-style walkway. The interior certainly contains elements of a castle — such as two suits of armor in the entryway — but it’s not nearly as in your face as the exterior is.

The owner put the house on the market last February because of a job relocation. Jorgenson said the house — which has been profiled on HGTV’s “What’s With That House?” and in The National Enquirer — has attracted “very consistent traffic” from prospective buyers.

“We have required [mortgage] preapproval information prior to any showings,” Jorgenson said, “so that has eliminated a lot of people just hoping to take a look at it for fun.”

“We have required [mortgage] preapproval information prior to any showings,” Jorgenson said, “so that has eliminated a lot of people just hoping to take a look at it for fun.”